More Arrests Made Over Terrifying Abermain Armed Robbery

BY JESSICA ROUSE

More charges have been laid over a terrifying hold-up at Abermain Bowling Club earlier this year.

Detectives have charged two more people over the June 19 robbery where a female employee was allegedly tied up with duct tape and $16-thousand dollars was stolen.

The State Crime Command's Robbery and Serious Crime Squad arrested a 33-year-old Weston man and a 29-year-old woman from Pelaw Main yesterday.

The man was refused bail and appears in Maitland Local Court today, the woman was also refused bail and will front Cessnock Local Court today.

They're not the first arrests over the incident, a 35-year-old man was arrested the day after the incident and charged with robbery whilst armed with a dangerous weapon, maliciously damage vehicle by fire, stealing and a number of traffic offences.

He is still before the courts.

Man arrested following armed robbery at Abermain

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A 35-year-old man has been arrested and held on multiple charges following an armed robbery in Abermain on Monday.

Police arrested the man at around 5pm yesterday after stopping a vehicle on Victory Parade, Jesmond.

It follows his alleged involvement in a break-and-enter at Abermain bowling club on Monday evening.

It is alleged the arrested man and another man forced their way into the bowling club, armed with a shortened firearm and sledge hammer, and approached a female employee before binding her hands and feet with duct tape. They then proceeded to ransack the premises, fleeing in a stolen vehicle with a large sum of cash.

Police attended the bowling club, where they untied the woman and established a crime scene. A stolen vehicle was found burnt-out in a nearby street.

The man has been charged with armed robbery, damage to property by fire and driving while disqualified.

He is also facing larceny charges relating to an incident on Sunday 11th June at a hardware store at Taylors Beach.

Investigations into the robbery continue, whilst the man has been refused bail and will appear at Newcastle Local Court today.

Woman taped up after robbery at Abermain

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are investigating an armed robbery at Abermain Bowling Club where a female employee was left terrified after being tied up with duct tape by two men.

At about 10:30 last night, the pair smashed the front doors of the club with a sledgehammer and reportedly threatened the employee with a firearm before tackling her to the ground.

The men tied the woman up, but released her a short time later demanding she access the safe and then took her to the gaming area where they forced her to get cash from an ATM, an e-bet machine and poker machines.

The woman was taped up for a second time, before the men fled the scene with a large amount of cash in a white Nissan Pulsar not even ten minutes later.

Police later found the car burnt out nearby.

Officers from the Central Hunter Local Area Command set up a crime scene and anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.